Hudson Bolton rides 6-for-6 at PBR World Finals as John Crimber leads title race

FORT WORTH, Texas — Folks, there is hot, there is red-hot, and then there is Hudson Bolton riding through the 2026 PBR World Finals like the gate was built just for him.

Bolton, from Milan, Tenn., stayed perfect Friday night inside Dickies Arena, covering Dirty Honey for 87.25 points in Round 6 of the 2026 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast. The ride moved him to 6-for-6 at the season finale and kept him alone at the top of the event leaderboard with 532.20 aggregate points.

Bolton Brings the Heat in Fort Worth

The 2025 PBR Rookie of the Year is not just riding bulls — he is setting the pace for the whole pack.

Bolton has now covered 13 straight bulls and has ridden 14 of his last 15. At the World Finals, he has moved to 12-for-14 all-time, a remarkable mark under the brightest lights in professional bull riding.

After the whistle Friday, Bolton threw up the peace sign toward friends on the chutes, with Dallas Cowboys stars Dak Prescott and Jake Ferguson also in the house.

“The energy in this place is crazy,” Bolton said on the Paramount+ telecast. “The more they cheer, the better I ride. One bull at a time. Keep my head down and just have fun.”

That is cowboy talk, plain and simple — stay loose, ride hard, and let the scoreboard do the singing.

Crimber Answers Back in the World Title Race

John Crimber came into Round 6 wearing the No. 1 ranking, but he was still looking for his first qualified ride of the Finals.

Then came July.

Crimber, from Decatur, Texas, matched the bull for 89.40 points, snapping an 0-for-5 start at the World Finals and stretching his lead in the world title race to 135.5 points over Brady Fielder of Clermont, Australia.

Fielder did not back down. He covered Sour Patch for 86.60 points and sits seventh on the event leaderboard with a 3-for-6 record in Fort Worth.

The gold buckle chase is still alive, but Crimber gave himself breathing room when he needed it most.

Thiago Salgado Wins Round 6

Round 6 belonged to Thiago Salgado when it came to the nightly money.

The Brazilian cowboy climbed aboard Oyster Creek Brawler and rode him for 90.05 points, good for the round win and 59 Unleash The Beast points.

It was Salgado’s third round win of the season and one of 19 qualified rides on the night — the most of any session so far at this year’s World Finals.

Rookie Race Tightens

The 2026 PBR Rookie of the Year race is turning into a chute-side showdown.

Marco Rizzo and Maverick Smith both made the whistle in Round 6. Rizzo covered his bull for 86.25 points, while Smith marked 88.05. Rizzo remains 31 points ahead with three rounds still to ride.

That race is not settled. Not by a long shot.

Veteran Michael Lane Makes His Return Count

Michael Lane, a veteran from Tazewell, Va., made the most of a late invite to Fort Worth.

Lane opened Round 6 with an 88.05-point ride aboard XIT Socks In A Box. It was his first eight-second ride at a World Finals event since 2015.

That is the kind of comeback moment that gets a crowd leaning forward and a cowboy standing taller.

Magic Potion Keeps His Streak Alive

Not every headline belonged to the riders.

Magic Potion, one of the rankest bovine athletes in the sport, bucked off Julio Cesar Marques in 2.92 seconds. The out marked Magic Potion’s PBR-record 61st consecutive buckoff and lifted his all-levels PBR record to 66-0.

That bull is not just winning. He is building a legend one rider at a time.

Top of the Event Leaderboard After Round 6

Hudson Bolton — 532.20 aggregate points
Luciano De Castro — 355.40
Lucas Divino — 350.40
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto — 347.90
Claudio Montanha Jr. — 268.90
Daylon Swearingen — 268.85
Brady Fielder — 262.80
Callum Miller — 262.45
Dener Barbosa — 261.30
Maverick Smith — 259.05

What Comes Next

The 2026 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast continues Saturday, May 16, at 7:45 p.m. CT at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Round 7 coverage begins on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. CT.

For international sports fans, including those watching from Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario, this is championship bull riding at full roar: eight seconds, one hand, no shortcuts, and a gold buckle waiting for the cowboy who can stay in the middle when the dirt starts flying.

PBR, Professional Bull Riders, Hudson Bolton, John Crimber, Brady Fielder, Thiago Salgado, PBR World Finals, Unleash The Beast, Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Bull Riding, Rodeo Sports, International Sports, NetNewsLedger, Thunder Bay Sports, Northwestern Ontario Sports